Should we expect more from DTE

**O3H** · May-04-18, 05:26 PM

Of course a storm will INCREASE useage
of an outage map app - each and every time !!

Why can't DTE get it through their heads that
it must work at the moment when things are at their worst ?

Upwards of a 1/4 Million people were without power today
--- and of course the app crashed around 4:30 pm Friday

**SyGolden48236** · May-04-18, 05:32 PM

I don't understand your outrage over an app not working. I don't need an app to tell me if my power is out. If your lights don't work your power is either out or you didn't pay your electric bill. Much ado about nothing.

**O3H** · May-04-18, 05:44 PM

Maybe you are at work - and want to know if its dark at the house ?

Tough to cook without power, dude

Perhaps you want to check on others you love, care about, etc. ?

Maybe that sump pump STOPS when the power is out
--- and the rain keeps coming down, endangering a residence ?

**mtburb** · May-04-18, 06:22 PM

Wyandotte's power was barely any better. I was left without power for two hours from around 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM. Businesses along the south side of Eureka near Fort Street were closed due to the outage.

Ironically, neighboring Southgate, specifically the Old Homestead area, which is hooked to DTE's grid, was with power the whole time.

**Zads07** · May-04-18, 07:15 PM

If I want to know if my power is out and I'm not home, I'll use the internet on my phone.

My internet was out earlier today and I used my phone to check to see if there was an outage or if it was just my modem or something. Turns out it was an outage and I used my phone to check.

I get why you're upset because the App went down, but it if goes down, there's another option of using the mobile website, that should work just as good.

**O3H** · May-04-18, 07:29 PM

Why publicize a piece of shit to pay bills, check accounts, outages
-- when; you want it to work - it fails ??? [[repeatedly)

DTE has a horrible track record of reporting outages
https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/...-on-mobile-app

http://dte-insight.appstor.io/app-reviews

**Scottathew** · May-04-18, 07:50 PM

I do find it odd that DTE can't keep its website up and running reliably during outages. With the invention of cloud computing they could have a website that automatically scales up during times of need.

However, I do think that they're storm recovery is generally on par with what I expect. I've been without power for days, it's just the nature of how long it takes to repair such a large, complex, and potentially deadly infrastructure after a wide-scale event happens.

**DeLemur** · May-04-18, 10:14 PM

Maybe some of you old timers can chime in on the frequency of power outages in recent years. It feels more common now for DTE to loose power.

**Zacha341** · May-04-18, 10:21 PM

Maybe if I paid my DTE bill more frequently their web site would stabilize! --

--

**O3H** · May-04-18, 10:45 PM

Skip the app ?

https://emergency.dteenergy.com/map/outage.html

**Zads07** · May-04-18, 10:52 PM

You might need a beer O3H, or a few.

**O3H** · May-05-18, 11:14 AM

Beer needs refrigeration and electrical power.......................

DTE just sucks it, on numerous levels, as customer support is often lacking, and they'll rarely tell you what the "real" cause of outage actually was. They don't admit to old equipment, poor maintenance, etc.

MANY people still without power , Saturday, probably Sunday too
https://emergency.dteenergy.com/map/outage.html

DTE is beholden to stockholders and has had a profit margin of 8% for well over 10 years +. Many companies wish they made 5% profit.

For example, grocery stores, automobile dealerships, lawn and garden stores, and beverage manufacturers have some of the lowest average profit margins, hovering around 2 percent as of 2016.

**Richard** · May-05-18, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by SyGolden48236

I don't understand your outrage over an app not working. I don't need an app to tell me if my power is out. If your lights don't work your power is either out or you didn't pay your electric bill. Much ado about nothing.

The sorrows of first world problems.

In Venezuela they do not have an app for that,you have a family member standing guard 24/7 watching the light bulb,when it lights you have 2 hours in which to take care of your Eletricial needs at the end of the 2 hours the light goes out until maybe the next time.

We used to have a 3 party phone line,I can only imagine the chaos that would bring today.

**O3H** · May-05-18, 04:52 PM

Odd thing - Detroit is no longer THIRD World or FOURTH World ...go figure

http://www.detroitchamber.com/detroi...mobility-tech/

https://genius.com/Detroit-news-stud...tbed-annotated

https://www.forbes.com/sites/joelkot.../#1e2a087b38f6

Detroit has a concentration of engineering services
more than three times the national average.
Its percentage of STEM workers is 50% above the U.S. norm

Should we just get 2 cans and some string for communication ?
I'm sure the 150,000 folks still without power would be over-joyed tonight
- Saturday at 6:00 pm May 5th, 2018

**Richard** · May-05-18, 05:39 PM

In England the school district is discussing removing the analog clocks from the classrooms because they say it causes stress on the children who are used to reading time on digital clocks.

The grid is made up of thousands of parts that work together and are subject to break,which happens.

When it does the workers whose families are also without power are going to be putting in 18 hours days to get the system back up,one cannot will It back working so there is no need to really stress about it.

A $10 flea market Coleman stove to cook with and a $5 vintage oil lamp to read a book by at night and you will survive,knock on your neighbors door and break out the Bbq to cook the food in the freezer,instead of having to throw it out and have a warm beer.

You know things are going to happen beyond your control,if you take steps before they happen,it becomes a minor inconvenience,and when the power comes back on you will not give it a second thought,until it happens again.

**O3H** · May-05-18, 07:24 PM

How about having a DTE APP that handles 5 million users
-- like the population of SouthEast Michigan ?

How about that, a little predictive foresight, for a utility company, eh ?

Perhaps we should expect more from a monopolistic enterprise in Michigan !!!

https://www.investopedia.com/ask/ans...ic-markets.asp

**Maof** · May-06-18, 06:00 AM

I agree with O3H and DeLemur. In my area, I can guarantee, that when winds are high, the power always goes out for my neighbors across the street and the next block over from them. A gentleman that lives across the street, is on oxygen 24/7 and it's a life or death situation for him. Same when I lived in SCS. Half the street was fine and the other always went out. Shitty infrastruture and customer service.

**O3H** · May-06-18, 07:46 AM

People are still without power, [[about 75,000) , on Sunday

http://empoweringmichigan.com/restorationupdates/

Electrical Power needs to be re-thought in the USA
http://theconversation.com/should-th...erground-83771

Approaching 2020+ in a very High Tech City filled with engineers
http://www.macombdaily.com/general-n...-without-power

Storm began around 3 p.m., Friday, May 4, 2018,

**O3H** · May-06-18, 07:57 PM

Sooooo it's Sunday 9:00 pm -- how about that outage map, huh ?
Updated every 30 minutes, says so right on the webpage

https://emergency.dteenergy.com/map/outage.html

Ouch................... I'm not impressed.... is anyone else ?

**sirrealone** · May-07-18, 09:51 AM

DTE does tree trimming and such to reduce the number of down lines, but this is a constant battle and can only reduce a portion of the risk. The true method to a more stable grid during storms would be to bury more lines, but the question, of course, is who pays for it? You know darn well the general public will never support a huge rate increase to provide funding to bury lines en masse, so what's the solution at this point?

**Ray1936** · May-07-18, 09:59 AM

Reading through this thread brings back many memories of no power when we lived in Detroit. Among the pluses for living in Las Vegas is that all power lines are underground. Never have had a loss of juice in 34 years. Just sayin'.

**Jimaz** · May-07-18, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by sirrealone

... You know darn well the general public will never support a huge rate increase to provide funding to bury lines en masse, so what's the solution at this point?

Maybe require it of just new construction? Or some percentage of new construction?

**jerrytimes** · May-07-18, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by Jimaz

Maybe require it of just new construction? Or some percentage of new construction?

A lot of new construction is, in neighborhoods anyway. Mainlines are usually above for ease of repairs. If people would trim their trees then most of this wouldn't happen.

**Richard** · May-07-18, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by Ray1936

Reading through this thread brings back many memories of no power when we lived in Detroit. Among the pluses for living in Las Vegas is that all power lines are underground. Never have had a loss of juice in 34 years. Just sayin'.

I thought the same way in Orlando,until a hurricane came through and wiped out the sub-station for 30 days,until they can figure out how to bury the entire grid it just looks better.

The power company owns the space around the lines,it is their responsibility to trim the limbs,it is probably not the best idea to have the adverage home owner standing on a ladder around high power lines,here they do trim the trees but if there is a branch on the line going to your house,unless it is throwing sparks it may be awhile before they adress it.

**rb336** · May-07-18, 11:30 AM

Remember two or three years ago the public agency that oversees DTE and other utilities approved DTE's request to halve it's line crews while raising rates, a year AFTER DTE posted their biggest-ever profits.